Reader pens response to MLA’s Site C Dam explanation email

In kind response to your mass email, “A word on Site C from Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA for Courtenay-Comox

To those who emailed me regarding Site C”

Seems to me you say: ‘I can not say it was the wrong decision to continue the Site C project’, maybe so. But I for one will say it is not only wrong, it is a terrible decision.

First, we were told: “We cannot cancel the Site C project due to the fact we would have to add $4 billion right away to our balance sheet, and we just can’t do that”.

That is an incorrect and misleading statement at best. The new NDP government cancelled the tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges, and thereby adding $4.6 billion to our dept instantly and with no hesitation. Meaning, Premier Horgan and his team took away tolls on two bridges and gave us Site C! What a bargain!

Fancy that, an election goodie for an ill-advised and unnecessary project, that my unborn grandchildren will not see the last rate-payer payment on, ever.

Second, your NDP government traded some 2,000 jobs for seven to nine years, and then what? Build another dam to keep providing jobs for a mainly transient work force? With this project you have blown nearly all future green energy jobs out the door and existence, with this massive over-supply of electrical power.

The net result is this, no private investment in alternative energy, no engineering, ‘know-how’ nor design jobs, no manufacturing jobs nor installation and maintenance jobs for our children and grandchildren. But why should we worry about that, there will be many other jobs they can pick and choose from, if you believe in the future-job-fairy-coming-around-the-corner-real-soon.

I for one reject the argument that you could not cancel the Site C project, all the arguments were right in front of you, mainly provided by the BC Utility Commission.

You just choose not to execute the obvious choice. Add this to the downsides of Site C, we haven’t even assessed the First Nations ramifications with this dam, nor bank stability issues, nor cost over-runs etc. (more goodies for the rate payers).